Thief

The AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT paired with the Intel Core i5-10400F delivers a performance curve in Thief that is clearly GPU-bound at higher resolutions, yet shows surprising CPU headroom at 1080p. The data indicates that the most demanding preset, Ultra at 4K, yields an average of 45.2 FPS, while dropping to Low at the same resolution nearly doubles performance to 88.8 FPS. This wide delta suggests that visual settings have a profound impact on the rendering load, and the GPU is the primary scaling factor as resolution increases.

Resolution Scaling

The transition from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160 reveals a classic GPU-bound scenario, particularly at higher quality presets. At High settings, the average frame rate drops from 102.7 FPS at 1080p to 85.3 FPS at 1440p, and finally to 51.5 FPS at 4K. This represents a 49.8% reduction in performance from 1080p to 4K, indicating that the RX 7700 XT’s rendering capabilities are being taxed heavily by the pixel count increase. The scaling is even more pronounced at Ultra settings, where the 4K average of 45.2 FPS is less than half of the 1080p result of 100.6 FPS.

However, the story changes when examining the Low preset. Here, 1080p averages 122.6 FPS, 1440p averages 111 FPS, and 4K averages 88.8 FPS. The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is only 27.6%, which is significantly smaller than the drop seen at High or Ultra. This suggests that at Low settings, the frame rate is becoming less dependent on the GPU’s pixel throughput and more influenced by other factors, likely including the CPU’s ability to feed the graphics card. The 1440p Low result of 111 FPS is particularly telling, as it is only 11.6 FPS behind the 1080p Low score, hinting that the i5-10400F is reaching a performance ceiling around this range.

The data shows that the RX 7700 XT has enough headroom to push high frame rates at lower resolutions, but the 4K Ultra result of 45.2 FPS firmly places this combo in a territory where 4K gaming requires significant settings compromises. For a smooth 60 FPS experience at 4K, the Medium preset at 62.3 FPS is the only viable option, while High and Ultra fall short of that threshold. This resolution scaling analysis confirms that the GPU is the limiting component in most scenarios, but the CPU’s influence becomes more apparent at lower settings and resolutions.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for maintaining a 60 FPS average in Thief with this hardware?

A: The 2560x1440 resolution with High settings achieves an average of 85.3 FPS, while Ultra at the same resolution reaches 82.9 FPS. Both comfortably exceed the 60 FPS target. At 4K, only the Medium preset (62.3 FPS) and Low preset (88.8 FPS) meet this threshold.

Q: How does the Ultra preset compare to High at 1440p?

A: The difference is minimal. Ultra averages 82.9 FPS at 1440p, while High averages 85.3 FPS, a delta of only 2.4 FPS. This suggests that the visual uplift from Ultra may not be worth the slight performance cost.

Q: Is the CPU holding back the GPU at 1080p?

A: At 1080p Low, the combo reaches 122.6 FPS, and at 1440p Low it hits 111 FPS, a difference of just 11.6 FPS. This relatively small gap indicates that the Intel Core i5-10400F’s six cores and twelve threads are likely limiting the frame rate at lower resolutions where the GPU has more headroom.

Q: What is the highest average FPS recorded across all tested configurations?

A: The highest average FPS is 122.6, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings. This is the only configuration that breaks the 120 FPS mark.

Q: How does the combo rank among all tested combinations in this game?

A: The combo ranks 913 out of 1642 tested combinations, placing it in the lower-middle portion of the database. This rank reflects that while the hardware is capable, there are many other combinations that deliver better performance in Thief.

Q: Does the 4K Ultra setting provide a playable experience?

A: The 4K Ultra average is 45.2 FPS, which is below the generally accepted 60 FPS standard for smooth gameplay. While it is technically playable, the frame rate may feel less fluid compared to the 1440p results.

Settings Recommendations

The optimal experience for this hardware depends on the target resolution. For 1920x1080, the Ultra preset at 100.6 FPS is the clear choice, as it delivers the highest visual fidelity while still maintaining a triple-digit average frame rate. The High preset at 102.7 FPS offers a marginal 2.1 FPS improvement, which is not worth the loss in graphical quality. At 1440p, the High preset at 85.3 FPS provides the best balance, as the Ultra preset only manages 82.9 FPS, a negligible difference of 2.4 FPS, while Medium drops to 99.2 FPS but with reduced visual quality.

For 4K gaming, the situation is more constrained. The Medium preset is the only one that achieves a 60 FPS average, hitting 62.3 FPS. The High preset falls to 51.5 FPS, and Ultra drops to 45.2 FPS, both of which may introduce noticeable stutter or input lag in a stealth game where precision is key. The Low preset at 88.8 FPS is an option for those prioritizing frame rate above all else, but it sacrifices the atmospheric lighting and shadow effects that define Thief’s visual identity. Benchmark results indicate that 1440p High is the sweet spot for this combo, offering a 85.3 FPS average that balances visual fidelity with smoothness, while 4K users should stick to Medium settings for a playable experience.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-10400F and AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT combination holds the 913th position out of 1642 tested combos in Thief. This places it in the 44th percentile of all configurations, meaning that roughly 56% of tested combos deliver higher average frame rates. This ranking is somewhat surprising given the GPU’s strong standalone benchmark scores, suggesting that the CPU’s performance or other system factors are holding the combo back in this specific title.

Examining the individual component rankings, the CPU sits at the 73rd percentile against all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 14168. Its nearest rivals include the AMD EPYC 7552, which scores 14115 (0.4% higher), and the AMD Ryzen 3 7320C, which scores 14277 (0.8% higher). The GPU also sits at the 73rd percentile against all GPUs, with an average score of 30097. Its nearest rival is the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060, which scores 30109 (0% delta), and the AMD Radeon RX 570, which scores 30158 (0.2% higher). This indicates that while both components are above average individually, the combined result in Thief is less impressive, pointing to a potential bottleneck or game-specific optimization issue rather than a fundamental hardware weakness.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT’s 12 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus provides 432.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which is sufficient for the textures and assets used in Thief. The card’s boost clock of 2544 MHz and game clock of 2171 MHz, based on the RDNA 3.0 architecture and 5 nm process, allow it to deliver substantial raw compute power, as evidenced by its 35.17 TFLOPS FP32 performance. The GPU’s average benchmark score of 30097 places it at the 73rd percentile, with its nearest rival being the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 at a negligible 0% delta.

In practical terms, the GPU’s role in Thief is clearly dominant at higher resolutions. The 4K High result of 51.5 FPS versus the 4K Low result of 88.8 FPS demonstrates that the card’s pixel fill rate and shading units are heavily taxed by the game’s visual effects at 4K. The GPU’s 96 ROPs and 216 TMUs are likely the limiting factors at these settings, as the frame rate drops significantly when transitioning from Medium to High at 4K (62.3 to 51.5 FPS). However, at 1080p, the GPU has enough headroom to deliver over 100 FPS on all presets, indicating that the card is not the bottleneck at this resolution. The benchmark data shows that the RX 7700 XT is a capable performer, but its 4K Ultra performance of 45.2 FPS confirms that it is not designed for maxed-out 4K gaming in this title.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured frame rates provide a comprehensive view of the combo’s performance across three resolutions and four quality presets. At 1920x1080, the averages are 122.6 FPS (Low), 113.6 FPS (Medium), 102.7 FPS (High), and 100.6 FPS (Ultra). The spread from Low to Ultra is 22 FPS, showing that the GPU can handle the full range of settings at this resolution without dropping below the 100 FPS mark. At 2560x1440, the results are 111 FPS (Low), 99.2 FPS (Medium), 85.3 FPS (High), and 82.9 FPS (Ultra). The drop from 1080p to 1440p is most pronounced at High settings, where the frame rate falls by 17.4 FPS, while the Low preset only loses 11.6 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the performance takes a significant hit. The averages are 88.8 FPS (Low), 62.3 FPS (Medium), 51.5 FPS (High), and 45.2 FPS (Ultra). The 4K Low result of 88.8 FPS is still respectable, but the Medium preset at 62.3 FPS is the only one that maintains a 60 FPS average. The gap between 1440p and 4K is starkest at High settings, which drops from 85.3 FPS to 51.5 FPS, a 39.6% reduction. Across all settings, the 4K Ultra result of 45.2 FPS is the lowest recorded, highlighting the GPU’s struggle with the highest pixel count and settings combination.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-10400F provides six cores and twelve threads, with a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.30 GHz. Its 12 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel DDR4 memory support at 42.7 GB/s bandwidth are typical for a mid-range desktop processor of its generation. The CPU’s average benchmark score of 14168 places it at the 73rd percentile, with its nearest rival being the AMD EPYC 7552 at a 0.4% higher score. Its multi-threaded performance is solid, as shown by its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 10297, but its single-thread score of 1453 is more modest.

In Thief, the CPU’s influence is most evident at lower resolutions and settings. The 1080p Low average of 122.6 FPS is only 11.6 FPS higher than the 1440p Low average of 111 FPS, suggesting that the processor is reaching its limit in feeding the GPU with draw calls and game logic. This is supported by the fact that the 1080p Medium (113.6 FPS) and 1080p High (102.7 FPS) results are closer to the 1440p results than the resolution difference would typically dictate. The CPU’s 12 threads handle the game’s stealth mechanics and AI calculations adequately, but the data indicates that it prevents the RX 7700 XT from achieving its full potential at 1080p, where the GPU is otherwise capable of delivering frame rates well above 120 FPS. The 3DMark 16-thread score of 4748 and max-thread score of 4735 confirm that the CPU’s multi-threading capabilities are consistent, but the game appears to be sensitive to per-core performance, where the boost clock of 4.30 GHz is the key factor.